A Not-So-Fantastical Plan To Save California From Drought With Cacti. Davesgarden. One might not be aware of this variety if one's only experience with aloes is through Aloe vera, the most common traditional aloe and one which frankly has one of the least interesting flowers of all aloe species.
Aloe flowers vary tremendously in size, shape, color and seasonal occurence. I struggled for some time trying to organize these flowers by either color, size, shape or season... but by far the most interesting organization just happened to be the easiest: alphabetical. So the following is a display of aloe flowers that can be seen in cultivation here in southern California (and probably Arizona), or in greenhouses and similar climates throughout the world. The goal of this article is not to show a photo of every single aloe species flower, but to provide some examples of the variety and colors that exist. Some of the words used to describe aloe flowers should be explained.
Growing cacti from seed - How to sow cactus seeds. Growing Cacti from Seed Note: Every cactus specie is different in its requirements for growing.
This guide is just a general reference that works great for *most* cactus seeds. Materials: This is what you will need. * soil * pot/container * spray bottle for water * fine sharp sand * lights (fluorescent are good) * plastic bags/plastic bottle (humidity tent) Growing Cacti from Seed. Growing Cacti from Seed Nature's Way A General Method To germinate cactus seeds, use a fine mix of 1/3 washed sand, 1/3 cactus compost, and 1/3 perlite. Mix it thoroughly and put it in 10cm plastic pots or seed pans (with adequate drainage holes). Gently pat down the mix to eliminate large air pockets and smooth the surface with a straight edge.
Carefully sprinkle the seeds evenly over the surface. If posible, you should provide bottom heat, or keep the pots in a place where the temperature can be kept around 25°C, or 33°C daytime maximum and 15°C night-time minimum. Under these conditions the seeds may germinate in one week, otherwise they may take significantly longer. Once the seeds have germinated, ensure the pots receive adequate lighting, either natural or fluorescent. Over a period of months, gradually acclimatise the seedlings to warmer, drier, and brighter conditions. . [ Google It! Cactus Seed Mixes. Grow Unusual and Exotic Cacti Plants from Seeds. I know of no other plant that can take as much abuse and neglect as the cacti and still provide us with profuse blooms and its unique appearance.
They are hardy, resilient and take up very little space. Often they will grow where no other plant will. They are truly the perfect windowsill plant. I hope my low prices will make it possible for you to enjoy these magnificent plants. I have listed a few of my favorites below. Many thanks to our friends at Sticky Situation Cacti for the use of their photos. Also, check out our: Succulent Plant seeds Yucca Plant seeds.
The Cactus Collection Cacti Information. Ferocacti Grafted Cactus Gymnocalycium ("Chin Cactus") Mammillaria Opuntia - Icon of the Southwest Rebutia Rhipsalis Christmas Cacti Orchid Cacti All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
Simply put, what separates cacti from succulents are the organs that produce the spines, and some other characteristics specific to fruit formation, differences between dicots and monocots and a few other differing charcteristics. Cacti are native to the United States, mostly in the southwestern states, Mexico, Central and South America and a few species are native to Haiti, and other islands. Propagating Cactus and Succulents. Introduction to Cacti. Main Heading Goes Here. Propagating Cacti and Succulents. By Heather Rhoades There are quite a few ways to take cuttings off succulent plants, so it’s no wonder why it may seem intimidating.
Read here to get information on cacti and succulent propagation. There are quite a few ways to take cuttings off of succulent plants. Sometimes you’ll root the whole leaf. Sometimes you can cut a leaf into sections. Propagating Succulent Leaf Pieces Larger plants, like the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), can be increased by cutting stems and leaves into pieces. Take one of the severed leaves and place it on a flat surface.
Take a shallow, but wide, pot and fill it with equal parts of moist peat and sand. Rooting Succulent Leaves Many succulents, like October daphne (Sedum sieboldii ‘Mediovariegatum’), have small, circular, flat leaves. Just snap the leaves off, without squashing the stems. Cactus and succulent plant mall - Propagation. Seed raising is the largest single method of propagating cacti and succulents.
Seed is available of a wide variety of cacti and succulents and is cheap when purchased from specialist suppliers. Mixed packets of seed from general garden seed suppliers tend to be rather expensive and the mixture of fast and slow growing types makes their cultivation more difficult. Some cacti and succulent seedlings are fairly slow to get established and therefore need careful care.
It is best to learn the techniques required first on more robust quickly growing species. Propagation Cacti & Succulents. Have u ever asked yourself what type of propagation is best for succulents?
You will get usefull instructions here, but do not expect we will force you to use just one method. Opuntia ficus-indica. Opuntia ficus-indica is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant important in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world.
It is thought to possibly be native to Mexico.[1] Some of the common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia, barbary fig, cactus pear, spineless cactus, and prickly pear, although this last name has also been applied to other less common Opuntia species. Growth[edit] Opuntia ficus-indica flower Fig opuntia is grown primarily as a fruit crop, but also for the vegetable nopales and other uses. Growing Cactus. As hot and dry as the summers in Texas are, some people wonder if there is anything that is really easy to grow during the dog days of June through September.
For those of you who want to grow a low maintenance plant, you may want to consider cactus. Why would anyone want to grow cactus? Primarily, ease--if you can't grow cactus, we can't help you! Can you imagine anyone having the nerve to admit they’ve killed a cactus?!